UCAN

UCAN (United Community Assistance Network) is a Community Collaborative focused on providing residents of Greater Lorain County with year-round access to emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, or other emergency basic needs at a single site geographically located in their neighborhood of residence.

Goal: Each zip code in Greater Lorain County is covered through this collaboration. The client-driven approach includes case management, benefits screening, and access to additional emergency resources.

Initiatives: UCAN's partners utilize a common intake system, so when an individual fills out a form at one agency, they're automatically in the system at the others in case a future need arises. UCAN also allows for shared resources so that there can be a central pool of emergency assistance funds available to all partners. If an individual or family in crisis stops into one of the partners and needs more assistance than that agency can provide with their own resources, the case manager can access the shared resources to get the client the additional assistance that is needed. This new system makes it possible for everyone who needs help to receive the appropriate assistance at the point of contact, and the presence of a case manager helps return the individual or family to financial stability.